In 1996, Jim Harbaugh, then the quarterback of the Colts, made a guest appearance on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. That episode was posted to YouTube and became a viral video recently, and Harbaugh hasn’t heard the end of it.
The first question at Harbaugh’s press conference on Wednesday was about his appearance, and Harbaugh confirmed that everyone from his wife to his players have made fun of him about it.
“A lot of people have been mentioning that lately,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t know why it’s become so popular. My wife told me about it, and a few players did. So they’ve been making quite a bit of sport of me over that.”
(For the unaware, “making quite a bit of sport of me” is a Sling Blade reference. Sling Blade came out in 1996. Apparently Harbaugh was really into popular entertainment back then.)
Harbaugh also noted that in the episode of Saved By the Bell, he knocked Screech over with a slap on the back. Harbaugh compared that to his controversial handshake with Lions coach Jim Schwartz. Now that the Saved by the Bell cameo has come to light, that handshake is no better than the second-most embarrassing moment of Harbaugh’s career.
